The present invention relates to object handling apparatus and more particularly to features of such apparatus either singly or in combination for forming objects into stacks, for releasing objects into a case or space, and for reorienting objects as they are being transported.
In handling various objects, particularly objects such as eggs, fruit and other fragile or delicate objects, problems arise in attempting to release them into spaces such as cases where abrupt release or dropping can cause breakage or other damage as it is difficult to provide gentle controlled advance of the objects into the space with an apparatus that can be withdrawn from the space without interference with either the released objects or the structure confining the space as when such objects in cartons or on trays in case-filling stacks are being packed into cases. There is also a problem in handling such objects to form layer arrays as trays or cartons in an assembled stack such as for subsequent case packing.
Representative examples of prior art handling apparatus are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,956,384 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,067,559, which disclose the use of flexible resilient strips or sheets that impose a guiding restraint on stacks of cartons or other articles advancing into a case. These strips or sheets project into the path of advance and rely solely on their resiliency to guide and restrain the articles, which can result in misguiding or misalignment due to variations in the resiliency of the strips or sheets or the distribution of the weight of the articles, or due to any previous misalignment of articles as they are delivered to the strips or sheets. Also, the effectiveness of such strips or sheets is substantially reduced when they have been flexed to approach a straight condition along the sides of articles at the point of release, causing problems at the most critical time in handling. These prior apparatus also include the formation of stacks of article layers from the bottom up with subsequent layers being dropped onto the previously closed stack layer formation.
Another prior art example of an apparatus for handling article layers in filling cases in U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,333, which discloses bottom up formation of stacks and lowering of the stacks on deformable article engaging and holding members that project under the stack until the stack is in position in a case and then retract by flexing into supporting side members. As in the other prior art examples there is no control of the flexing of the article engaging and holding members to positively prevent misalignment or misguiding particularly during the critical last stage of flexing for article release, and this arrangement requires movement of the supporting side members into the case, which complicates the construction and operation and increases the space occupied in the case with a resulting limitation in the potential case filling utilization of the articles.
In contrast, the present invention provides an apparatus for releasing objects into a space using a flexible extent that is positively controlled during article engagement and through release so that possible misguiding and misalignment are avoided, and this is accomplished with an arrangement that is capable of easy retraction from a space or case while occupying a very thin space that does not significantly minimize the possibility of a case-filling arrangement of objects. The present invention also provides an apparatus that functions to assemble objects in layer arrays that are formed into stacks in a top down sequence for delicate and simple handling. Another feature of the present invention not provided by the prior art is a capability of reorienting selected trays or other arrangements of objects by pivoting prior to assembly into stacks so that the objects can be assembled in a desired relative orientation different from that in which they are initially provided, as when it is desired to reorient alternate trays at right angles to the other trays in forming a stack.